In one corner stands a team that’s decidedly the league’s gold standard, giving notice of a strong title defense by having claimed 20 of 23 outings. On the opposite end stands the supposed rival, starring a four-time Most Valuable Player, but still struggling to find an identity and reeling from seven losses in the last nine outings. Based on the numbers alone, a blowout looks to be in the offing. However, nothing about any game featuring Golden State and Cleveland is etched in stone.
Significantly, the Cavaliers tried their best to be unwelcoming hosts, blitzing the Warriors to a seven-point lead at halftime, the largest in eight contests. And, expectedly, LeBron James was at the forefront of the attack, going for an efficient 20, five and three. He wanted to win, and not simply because the wine and gold needed to arrest their slide with an emphatic showing; he firmly believed that he and his teammates could summon their finest under the most adverse of conditions.
When the battlesmoke cleared, however, James proved to be only half right. He did finish with a sterling stat line, filling the sheets with figures that highlighted the level of his engagement. Unfortunately, the other Cavaliers failed to keep up. They were especially wanting in the crunch, making just two of 19 field-goal attempts and thereby seeing the Warriors pull away for good.
If there’s anything yesterday’s set-to showed yet again, it’s that the Cavaliers are toast when they can’t buy a bucket. Their defense is atrocious, as much a reflection of their aging roster as of their switch-every-single-time system that often leaves them a step — or, to be more precise, steps — behind the ball handler. They figure to do better as their personnel find familiarity in each other, but how much better? Which means they’ll have to keep making leather and nylon meet — not usually a chore, but glaringly and decidedly one of late.
Prior to the match, Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue was asked about his confidence in the midst of a swoon. Are they primed for success? “We’re not right now, but we will be the best team in the East… because we’ve got the best player in the world.” He May well be right. Then again, yesterday was proof positive that one great player on a team will invariably be trumped by a team of great players.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
